Jennifer Presley

I just think it was a good foundation of being driven and knowing that I have to make it happen - nobody else is gonna do it. I try to balance taking care of myself with the fact that I just don't give up. I'm very stubborn, and I know that can have negative connotations, but I think my perseverance and stubbornness is really what's gotten me to where I am. Sometimes I just wonder why I go through certain things in life, and then later I help somebody in a similar situation, and I go, okay, that's why. A lot of my lessons were learned the hard way firsthand, but those experiences have made me better equipped to help my clients navigate their own challenges.

I think it really just comes back to self-care. I just had a conversation with a coworker recently about how when she notices she's starting to get stressed, she starts planning something fun for herself, and I thought, wow, why don't I do that? Even this week, I had a couple of late nights and a little faux pas where I left my purse in my daughter's vehicle. But I didn't feel guilty about it, I didn't feel bad about coming in a little later, because I knew that I had fulfilled my responsibility and was way ahead of expectations as far as hours for the week. I felt kind of zen because I didn't stress about it - I didn't stress about the slow drivers, the rain, or any of that. I just said, it's all gonna be fine. Just giving myself permission to have a slow morning, to overcome the little hiccup - that's what made the difference. If I'd had that day five years ago, I would probably still be a wreck today, but instead, it's just like, oh, it is what it is, you just take it as it comes and pivot.

I think if you have a desire to help folks and you're willing to do some self-reflection, you'll find your way. A lot of times where I've learned my lessons were the hard way, firsthand. I always joke about how sometimes I just wonder why I go through certain things in life, and then later I help somebody in a similar situation, and I go, okay, that's why. I had a client that came in one time and everything about her was hung down - her head, her shoulders, her whole demeanor. I could just tell that she had the weight of the world on her. I don't know where it came from, but it just came out of my mouth: if there's one thing you could change about your life right now that would take some weight off of you, what would that be? We talked about it, and she was keeping a guy around because he was helpful a few times, but he was more of a stressor than he was a help at the end of the day. She made that change, and she's been a homeowner for about eight years now. So my advice is to be willing to learn from your own experiences and use them to truly connect with and help the people you serve.

It's definitely the unknowns of government funding for affordable housing. I mean, we've always had to fight for it, but we feel like we have to fight a little harder these days, and there's the inconsistency in our current administration. The uncertainty around funding makes it challenging to plan and serve the families who need our help the most.

Keeping your word is probably my biggest value - that's my biggest pet peeve when people don't. If you're not sure, just say I don't know or I'm not sure, but just keep your word. Integrity obviously factors into that. And this is more recent, but just listen to your body. Feel how you feel and take the signals from that and listen to them and act accordingly. I've learned that what I was calling helping was actually enabling sometimes, and the emotional and physical labor I was carrying wasn't resolving the situation, it was keeping me stuck in it. So now I pay attention when my body tells me something's wrong - the anxiety, the constant gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. Listening to my body has led me to set boundaries that are uncomfortable but necessary, and what followed was peace, not confusion or regret, just a steady, quiet sense of relief that came with no longer participating in cycles that drain me.